The 19th annual World TB Day is Saturday, March 24, 2001. The event marks the joint efforts of nations worldwide in fighting the disease, which takes the lives of 2 million people every year. In the United States, the number of reported TB cases rose 20 percent between 1985 and 1992, after years of decline. The increase was attributed to several factors, including the spread of HIV, the deterioration of the infrastructure for TB services, and immigration of persons from nations where TB was endemic. A renewed commitment to fighting the disease, however, has had positive results; and the provisional number of TB cases in 2000 fell 7 percent from the previous year, to a record low of 16,372 cases. Further information about World TB Day and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's global TB efforts can be found at the CDC's Web site, www.cdc.gov.

Other CDC News for March 23, 2001

Mortality, CD4 Cell Count Decline, and Depressive Symptoms Among HIV-Seropositive Women U.S. Drug Buyers Unlikely to Seek Deep Discounts on AIDS Medicines Congress Looks to Step Up Fight Against AIDS and Other Diseases Overseas TB Cases Increase Despite Cheap Medication: WHO	AIDS Panic in China Leads to Draconian Measures Health Tips: Physicians Should Screen for Chlamydia Disney: No Risk to Visitors From Employee With TB Tuberculosis Treatment Interruption -- Ivanovo Oblast, Russia Federation, 1999 and Evaluation of a Directly Observed Therapy Short Course Strategy for TB Disease -- Orel Oblast, Russia, Russian Federation, 1999-2000
World TB Day -- March 24, 2001